Homage to Onion

Thanks to my friend and flyball coach Kim I have discovered 'Onion' the wonder mini BT from England. She reminds me so much of Jet it is like they are kindred spirits. She has done so many things that Jet and I aspire to accomplish (well ok I do and Jet is coming along for the ride - personally I think she just loves to be with her humans and tolerates our weird past times). Onion has been in a movie with Ewan McGregor; starred in a pop music video; been to Crufts (although her sister won BOB - always the bridesmaid); and more than I can post here.
She also does agility in true mini BT fashion - the video on YouTube - yes she has her own YouTube channel (Jet's mom just needs to get a good video camera and get her butt in gear and she too could be going viral some day soon).You will want to check it out at: Agility Bull Terrier Style

You can also see her blog and links to other mini BT blogs at: Onion Blog.

In other news - Jet is a very proud mother these days. Her little boy (just 6 months of age) 'Spiller' went to his first confirmation show and not only did he finish his championship in one weekend, he did it by winning the group and going Best Puppy in Show!!

That's my boy!!!!

Sink or Swim

Most dogs should be able to swim right? I mean that is why we call it the 'doggie paddle' after all. Except of course if you are a bull terrier and a miniature one at that. I mean have you seen how Jet is built? Visualize a 30lb brick on short legs with a smaller brick for a head and you have a pretty good picture. That does not conjure up thoughts of something that is terribly buoyant - well at least it doesn't to me. Now add to that the fact that Jet hates water. The first time I attempted to bath her, she literally froze in position in the laundry tubs downstairs. She didn't struggle or try to get out - she just stood there in total shock and disbelief. I guess she was smart enough to figure out that if she stood still it would be done quicker! :) I introduced her to a wading pool at a show last summer - thought I was being kind as it was a super hot day in August and she needed to cool down. Not so much - I had to lift her into the kiddie pool and she went into her freeze mode with the most unhappy look on her face.
For all these reasons, I was not anticipating that my dog would EVER swim.
Well on Saturday she finally did - although I must admit it was not by her choice.
Chasing border collies, which are chasing sticks, is a great past time for miss Jet. She doesn't want the stick - just the thrill of the chase is enough for her. For a few weeks now, she has watched with disdain as the border collies lunge into the water after their sticks, swimming elegantly to and from shore as she races up and down the shoreline with nary a foot in the water.
Well this week, I guess her chase brain trumped her "I hate water" brain and before she knew what had happened she was neck deep and water and OMG her feet all of the sudden didn't touch bottom. If you have ever seen sheer panic on the face of a dog - this was it. She swam about 3 ft and then frantically turned around and swam back to dry land as fast as could. Just her little (ok big) head was above water as she made her way to shore. I think I was in as much shock as she was and was ready to leap in and save her, but she managed just fine on her own. Ok, ok so the water wasn't that deep and I could have waded in after her but it was the thought that counts.
I should have had a video camera, because I don't think Jet will fall for that trick again. What trick you ask? Oh the one where the border collies try to lure her out to deep water and drown her! :)

Going Camping

As I wait for the fog to clear this morning there are signs that perhaps the sun might make an appearance at some point today. I heard a rumour that we might see the pay off for this terrible wet spring by having a hotter and dryer than normal summer. That would suit Jet and I just fine. Right now I am dreaming of camping. Now this is not your regular run of the mill family camping trip. This is a doggie camping extravaganza.
At last count there will be 7 humans and 12 (but I heard there might be a lucky 13 addition to the group by then) canines in our party. Although I am a seasoned camper, last year was Jet's first foray into the wonderful world of camping. I must say I was a little hesitant about how this would all shake out. She isn't the kind of dog one would expect to be content just chilling by the campfire with a nice bevie enjoying a roasted wiennie (ok well maybe the wiennie). Not to mention the fact that I sleep in a tent (low budget camping - no motor home or fancy trailer for me), on an air mattress. I had many sleepless nights leading up to that first camping trip wondering if I was going to be up all night trying to quiet my dog down as she alerted to every sound coming from the campgrounds.
I need not have worried. She took to camping like an old pro.
She hung out in her expen when I need to have hands free to cook or drink (ok more drinking than cooking took place). She even decided to make her own tent out of the lovely grass mat I put down for her. Not one to be left out of things...that's my girl!

 I was going to have her sleep in the crate in my tent at night to hopefully avoid her ripping the zipper or windows out in an attempt to get at whatever was creeping around outside. Jet had other plans however. The first night as I was changing for bed - she hopped up on the air mattress (double high queen size by the way - go big or go home is my motto), curled up in a ball and seemed to have found her place. I decided to risk it, knowing I could always resort to the crate in the middle of the night if the need arose. I crawled in beside her, and pulled the sleeping bag up around me ready for a wonderful sleep in the fresh night air. Jet took one look, shoved her nose at the sleeping bag and burrowed her way inside, heaved a big sigh and there she stayed until morning. Waking up in the morning with her warm breath at my cheek (she had wiggled up to the top at some point in the night), was sheer camping bliss.

70 more sleeps until camping...Jet and I will be ready!

My two big brothers

I live with three humans and my two big canine brothers. Ok so they are not really my ACTUAL brothers but I like to think of them as my adoptive family. It has been hard to break into their little gang though let me tell you. They ARE actual brothers and blood is thicker than water. When I first arrived I tried to show them I wanted to be friends, fit in with the group. I nicely shared treats and waited my turn. Hung out on the couch with Grizzly...except he kept leaving whenever I tried to join him...what's up with that? I would try to play with them - you know - leaping at their face, pouncing on them when they were sleeping, smashing into them at full tilt, grabbing their legs from underneath...all that good bully play stuff. I finally figured out...they are not bullies. They are gentile smooth collies who are getting on in years - and they just don't play that way.
After a few altercations over a bone - had to let them know it was really my bone. I mean didn't they see my name on it? Things have quieted down. I let them be most of the time. Occassionally I will give a little nuzzle when they are sleeping just to make sure they are still breathing...I mean at their age one never knows.

I have even tried to just hang out with them in the backyard. They were lying peacefully on the grass having an afternoon nap and I thought I would join them. I quietly tiptoed between them and laid down for a siesta - wait - where are you going? Do I smell? (ok well sometimes I do but I can't help it). Was it something I said? Oh well, guess I will just have to keep trying to win them over:)

treat time with Grandma and big brothers Grizzly and Denim

A promise

I have always considered myself a 'positive' dog trainer. I tried to be kind to my dog, to find training solutions that didn't include any kind of physical punishment. I avoided all kinds of 'training' collars, harsh methods and allowing emotion to get involved in my interactions with my dog (ok we all have bad days where screaming NO at the top of our lungs seem to be the only solution at the moment). I do this for many reasons but mainly because I don't feel it is necessary in order to have a happy healthy relationship with my dog. I am not the best dog trainer in the world, in fact I would not even rate myself in the top 30% of dog trainers. But I try to keep to my beliefs in how I work with my dog.
Now you may ask why the drawn out diatribe on my training philosophy. Well the other day - I let myself and more importantly, Jet, down. I let someone else decide what was the best way to handle a training situation, and I stood by and let it happen to my dog.
No need to go into the details, suffice it to say that it involved physical punishment in the form of a foot and contact with my dog. The reason you ask...well Jet just couldn't resist visiting another dog and we had to teach her that that wasn't allowed. Now I am not Mother Teresa, if there was a real danger of physical harm to either dog, I would be the first one to use whatever means necessary to make sure it didn't happen. This wasn't the case at all. I completely appreciate that Jet needs to learn how to ignore other dogs when she is working with me and how to approach other dogs in a less 'rude' manner. I need to figure out a way to get through to her in a calm, proactive way how to control those bully impulses. I haven't quite gotten there yet, have some ideas that I plan on testing out and together Jet and I will figure this out. And if we don't...well you know what...big deal. It may mean we never play team sports like flyball...do you really think Jet cares? Not highly likely. We may only be able to play at things like agility or tracking or rally, where we are the only team working at one time. That's ok too.
But this much I know. I will NEVER let anyone physically kick my dog EVER again. If that is what we have to do (or worse) to get her beyond her 'issue' with visiting other dogs then it is just not worth it to me.
So this is for Jet  -
This is my promise.
You can trust me to keep you safe. You can count on me to work as hard as I can to understand your motivation and to see things from your perspective. You can believe that I will help us to find a solution that doesn't involve physical force, compulsion or pain. Because after all, you didn't ask to play flyball, or do agility, or obedience. You just are who you are, happy to be with me whatever we are doing (ok maybe not bath time).

She can't really be a Bully!

So, I spent Mother's Day at a dog show - with my mother of course. Where else would one choose to spend their Mother's Day! ;) We were at the Bull Terrier Specialty and the very first Canadian National Miniature Bull Terrier Specialty. The day was glorious and Jet was the happiest bully around. Imagine being able to see and play with other bullies (not those boring 13 year old smooth collies she shares her home with). She rolled on her back in sheer delight, licking and kissing each bully she could find. They really do know their own breed. The funniest picture (will upload eventually - I know I know I keep saying that) was of Jet next to this HUGE male full size bully. I swear his head was the same size as Jet's entire body. She really did look like a 'mini' standing next to him. He was a very gentle giant however even as she rolled on her back, belly exposed, squirming in sheer pleasure.

Perhaps the most fun mom and I had all day was realizing that we are perhaps one of the few bull terrier owners that actually believe they can be trained to do ANYTHING. I mean these dogs were dragging their owners wherever they wanted to go (and trust me a 70lb + male bully can drag you anywhere), leaping and jumping all over the place...and having the best time doing it with a true bully smile on their face. I nearly got wiped out by a young male AND his owner as they came charging through the door - the owner struggling to stay upright behind this massive white body. Well he was about to go head over tea kettle when some kind soul grabbed his arm to steady him. The funny part was, the owners all seemed to go along with it all, just caught up in the sheer bliss of being a bully owner...with "well they are bullies" ready to be uttered at a moment's notice. This seemed their answer for everything their beloved pets did that perhaps was not so 'polite' or 'well behaved'.

Now Jet is FAR from perfectly trained. We have worked hard (sometimes hard but not smart on my part) and are still learning together how to become a true team. She does know some basics, like sit, down, stand, come (well when nothing more interesting is going on), stay when asked politely, most of it to both verbal and non-verbal cues. All of this she does in true bully fashion - throwing herself onto the floor for a drop and bouncing up into a sit. She also does have a growing repertoire of tricks - just 'cause she's so darn cute and they are so much fun to teach. The sit-up pretty one seemed to catch everyone's eye. I was just giving her something to do to keep her occupied but next thing I know there seemed to be a line-up of people wanting to take her picture. One woman wanted her picture taken WITH Jet. I am not exaggerating when I say that I felt a bit like I had a celebrity on my hands (hey maybe I should get her an agent and she could help pay for the vet bills and dog food). I couldn't quite figure out why to be honest. I mean I know she is cute (ok I am biased) but so are all the other bullies that were there. But when one man said to me..."She can't really be a bully if she can do all that!" it finally hit me.

She was the centre of attention because she was able to 'do' things when asked...OMG what a concept. I came to realize that bully owners, as nice of people as you would care to meet generally, have this idea that one should just accept them for what they are...and not even really try to 'train' them. As my mother pointed out, people who actually do performance sports are not lining up to get a bull terrier - mini or otherwise, so the people who do choose to share their lives with this wonderful breed are not really into 'training' or 'doing things' with their dogs - just loving them for what they are. So Jet's 'basic' obedience skills in comparison must have seemed like we had managed to scale Mt. Everest!

I think next year, I am taking a video camera and a bag of popcorn and settling in a good seat to watch the show - seriously if you get a chance to come and watch it is worth the price of admission (which is free by the way).

Sun Worship

Sorry that there has been a lag between posts - very busy work and dog schedule that just seems to never end. This one will be brief but cute I hope!
We have all been craving sunshine after the rotten weather mother nature has sent our way this April. Those fleeting moments when we have actually seen that big orange ball in the sky have been far too few. However, I think Jet has missed it most of all. My dog is a sun worshipper in the extreme. She can be found lying on the kitchen floor in the one narrow beam of sun that has streamed through the window - basking in its glory.
On the hottest day in the summer she is likely to have positioned herself on the hot flag stone in front of the aluminium storm door enjoying her own makeshift tanning bed. Of course another option is to 'plant' yourself in a flower pot with nice warm earth - amazing how small one can make themselves by curling up in a neat little ball...ah heaven.

So when I arrived home yesterday after a very long tiring day that was not about to end as I had to head out to teach two classes at my obedience club, my father's announcement of 'guess what your dog did today" was meet with some trepidation. As it turned out, he just had to tell me that he should have taken a picture as when he looked out in the backyard in the afternoon moment of sun, there was Jet doing her best 'road kill' imitation stretched out on her side - all four legs pointing straight out - basking in the rays. Ahhhhhh sheer heaven!
Try to find a moment today to savour the sunshine...I hear it is supposed to rain AGAIN tomorrow!